Means for shanking buttons



M. M CANN MEANS FOR SHANKING BUTTONS Original Filed Feb. 12, 1930 wwzm waunuvava v1.

1!; ing both operations.

Patented July 18, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL MCCANN, OF ST. ALBANS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO FREDERICK OSANN COM PARTY, OF NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK I MEANS FOR SI-IAITKING BUTTONS Original application filed February 12, 1283, Serial No. 427,785.

January 17, 1931.

iVhen buttons are sewed to the heavier typeset garments such as overcoat-sit is de sii-able that the back faces of the buttons be spaced from the forward face ofthe cloth 5 so that the relatively thick material adjacent to the buttonholes may pass in between sun ciently readily when the garment is buttoned.

It has been customary, therefore to sew the button on loosely and then to wind thread about the group of stitches between the button and the work to form a shank to space the button from the work. Attempts have been heretofore made to sew and shank buttons by machine, the same inachine'perform ever, have been highly complicated and to the best of my knowledge have never been commerciallysuccessful. J

In accordance with the present invention shanking is done as an operation separate and distinct from the sewing and may be done by a machine of the button sewing type, differing therefrom only in the device for holding the work and in the mechanism for controlling the movement of the work relative to the sewing needle. The button is first sewed to the work sufficiently loosely to form a neck of threads between the rear face of toe button and the front face of work asby holding the button spaced from the work the desired distance during the sewing operation. The but-ton and the work are then so supported and manipulated relative to a sewing needle as to wrap the neck of threads substantially from end to end, the stitches being passed alternately about opposite sides of the neck of treads and preferably 'distrib uted lengthwise ,of this neck. Either a chain or a lock stitch machine may be used for this '-operation, successively placed loops of shanking thread passed about the neck of sewing tb reads being locked together either in chain stitch formation when a chain stitch ma- ,chine is used, or through a second or shuttle thread when a lock stitch machine is used."

In either case the stitching action tightens the loops of thread about the neck strands. so that a very satisfactory shanking action f esults which is more secureand more uni- Such machines, how-2 Divided and this application filed Serial No. 509,390.

formly distributed than that produced by the usual hand winding. 7

The present application relates only to the sewing machine for effecting the 'shanking operation, being a. division of application Serial No. 427,785 filed February 12, 1930 for shanking buttons. v

For a more complete understanding of this invention,reference mav be had to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a side elevation partly broken away of a button sewing machine equipped to perform the shanking operation and show ing the button and work in position therefor.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section on line 22 of Figure l, the button and work being omitted. I 1

Figure?) is a fragmentary perspective of theholder for the button and work.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of a button clamp and button held in proper relation to work in a button sewing machine for the sewing operation preparatory to shanking. V

Figure 5 is a somewhat diagrammatic View to a large scale and withflparts distorted for the sake of clarity and illustrating the shank ing operation. 1 V

Referring to the drawing, Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a well known button sewing machine of the chain stitch type such .as is shown more in detail in the Lyons Patent- No. 1,671,197," granted May 29, 1928. This machine has a base 1 from which extends up 1 wardlyand forwardly a sewing arm 2 having with the needle 15 carried by the needle bar 5 to form chain stitches. i p In place of the usual button clamp employed with button sewing machines of this able looper mechanism 11 which cooperates type, a special form of work holder indicated as a whole at 20 is employed. This holder, as shown, comprises a base 21 which is pivotally connected as at 22 through a bracket arm 2st to a slide 220, this pivot being horizontally disposed so that the base 21 may be raised when desired as by pulling on a chain 25 secured at its lower end to a block 26 bolted to the base 21. This chain may be pulled upwardly by any suitable means, but

, as herein shown its upper end is pivoted to an arm 27 carried by a rock shaft 28. This rock shaft is normally held in such an angular position as to permit the base 21 to rest in contact with the usual throat plate 90 of the machine, as by means of a coil spring 29. This rock shaft 28 may be turned so as to raise the work holder by any suitable means for example, as disclosed in the Lyons patent by means of a pull chain extending to a suitable treadle mechanism.

At the forward end of the base 21 are positioned a pair of upstanding wall members 30 and 31. which are arranged laterally to the length of the base 21. The wall member 31, as shown, is provided with a rearwardly directed integral foot plate 32 which may be adjustably fixed to the base 21 as by means of a screw 33 passing through a slot 34 therein and threaded into the base 21. The wall member 30 is provided with a similar foot portion 36 through which is a slot 37 for the reception of a securing screw 38 which is also threaded into the base 21. The plate members 30 and 31 are provided with opposed slots l0 and 41, respectively, preferably having rounded flaring upper ends to facilitate inserting the wor r. The slot 41 is somewhat wider than the slot 10 for a purpose which will later appear. These plate members form a support for a button and the work which have previously been loosely stitched together in such a manner as to leave a neck of. stitching threads 4-5 therebetween, the back face of. the button 46 being positioned against the back face of the wall member 31 and the work 47 to which it is attached being positioned forwardly of the wall member 80,, thestitching threads extending through the notches 40 and 41. In order to better retain the work and button in position the members 30 and 31 may be spaced apart at their upper portions slightly further than at their foot portions, as shown This preliminary securing of-thebutton to the work in this loose manner may be effected by any suitable mechanism. In Figure 4 is shown, for example, a button clamp indicated generally at 50 provided with side button clamping jaws 51 and 52 which are shown as provided with downwardly extending feet 53 and 54: which rest upon the upper face of the work 4E7 so as to support the button 46 spaced thereabove so that when the i stitches are passed through the sewing holes heavy, such as overcoating fabric, a reinforcing" button is applied to the back face of the work and where this is desired the cloth plate 56 of the button sewing machine may be provided with a depression to receive the reinforcing button as at 57 and hold it in proper relation to the button clamp so that the stitching threads are passed through sewing holes in this reinforcing button as well as through the work and the button being secured. This reinforcing button may be omitted, if desired. The plates 30 and 81 are so positioned relative to the needle that the needle strokes are caused'to pass alternately on opposite sides of the neck of threads, thus to cause successive loops of stitching thread to be passed about this neck of threads alternately in opposite directions. Thus when these loops of'thread are taken from the needle, as by the usual looper mechanism, and the stitch is completed, these loops are drawn up tightly about the neck of threads, binding them together by the interengagement of these loops. lVhere, as in the machine illustrated, a chain stitch machine is used, these loops will be interengaged with each other in chain stitchformation, as shown somewhat diagrammatically at 60 in Figure 5, though it will be understoodthat these loops will be drawn tightly together as in the usual chain stitch sewing operation and l\ not loosely as they are shown for the sake of clarity. The slot 40 on the plate'30 is preferably sufiiciently narrow to bring the sewing threads of the neck so close together that the lateral vibratory motion of the needle between successive stitching operations is sufficient to clear the neck of threads when given an amplitude of motion which may, if desired, be identical with that employed in the placing of the securing stitches through the sewing holes in the button. The button being of relatively unyielding material holds the groups of stitching threads apart adjacent thereto so that the slot 41 is made relatively wide to receive them.

Between successive stitching operations, it

is preferable to move the work and button holder lengthwise of the neck of threads in the machine shown is provided with a cam having a cam path 71 therein within which rides a follower 72 on an arm 73 fixed to a rock shaft 74. This rock shaft imparts motion to a slotted link 75 in a manner clearly disclosed in the Lyons patent hereinbefore referred to and which is adjustably connected to move the slide 220. The cam path 71 as shown is formed to impart motion by small increments to the slide 220 between successive passes of the needle 15. It is shown as designed to start the shanking operation adjacent to the plate 30 where the sewing threads have been brought together by the relatively narrow slot 40. As the operation of the machine progresses, the button and Work are moved forwardly so as to cause the shanking to be effected progressively toward the rear face of the button until the space between the plates 30 and 31 have been substantially filled by binding stitches. The work and button are then given a step by step rearward movement until they are brought backto their initial position where the machine stops. Two superposed layers of wrapping stitches are thus passed about the neck of threads in each machine cycle.

As usual with machines of this type the two final needle strokes may be caused to pass 011 the same side of the neck of sewing threads to knot the thread in the usual manner.

For ease in adjusting it is preferable that the forward position of the work and button holder be the same for all adjustmentsof the throw of the work and button. Thus after the rear plate 31 has been fixed in the proper position for one length of shank, it

is then necessary only to adjust the position of the forward plate 30, which is readily accessible, when the length of shank is to be modified. In order that buttons of relatively large size may be taken by the holding means, the base 32 of the plate 31'may be slotted out as at 80 and this slot may be extended through the base plate 21 and into the throat plate 90 as shown in Figure 1.

From the foregoing description of the method of shanking, a machine for performing the operation and the resultant product,

it should be evident to those skilled in the.

art that various changes and modifications H might be made without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention. I do not claim herein broadly the wrapping of strand or other material gathered together in bundle formation by loops of thread passed alternately thereabout in opposite directions and secured together, but what I do claim is:

1. In combination, means for holding in spaced relation a button and work to which said button is loosely secured by stitches to form a neck of stitching threads extending therebetween, and means for wrapping a definite length of said neck with loops of thread passed thereabout in opposite directions and secured together.

2. In combination, means for holding in spaced relation a button and work to'which said button is loosely secured by stitches to form a neck of stitching threads extending therebetween, and means for wrapping a definite length of said neck with loops of thread passed thereabout in opposite .directions and secured together in chain stitch formation.

3. In combination, sewing means,.means for holding a button and work to which it is loosely secured by stitches in spaced relation to form a neck of stitching threads therebetween, and means for relativelymoving said holding and sewing means a predetermined amount during a sewing operation to cause stitches made by said sewing means to be passed about and be distributed along a definite length of said neck and to be secured together. 1

4. In combination, sewing means, means stantially the full length of said neck.

5. In combination, means for holding in spaced relation a button and work to which said button is loosely secured by stitches to form a neck of stitching threads extending therebetween, sewing mechanism for passing stitches alternately 1n opposite directions about said neck and securing them together in neck wrapping relation, and means for movmg sa1d holding means axially of said neck as the sewing mechanism operates to dis-' tribute the wrapping stitches along said neck between the button and the work.

6. In combination, means for holding in spaced relation a button and work to which said button is loosely secured by stitches to form a neck of stitching threads extending therebetween, sewing mechanism for passing stitches alternately in opposite directions I about said neck and securing them togetherin neck wrapping relation, and means for moving said holdlng means axially of said neck in one and then in the opposite direction 7 as the sewing mechanism operates to dis tributethe wrapping stitches along said neck between the button and the work in superposed layers.

7 In a sewing machine, awork holder comprising a base, a pair of plates extending from said base in spaced substantially parallel relation and having opposed slots .eX- tending toward said base to receive the stitches loosely connecting a button positioned outwardly of one of said plates with work positioned outwardly of the other of neck of stitches and m ans for relatively moving said holder and sewing means axially of said neck to cause stitches formed by said securing means to be distributed lengthwise of said neck. 1

8. A work holder comprising a base member, and a pair of plate members supported by said base member in substantially parallel relation, said plate members having op posed slots extending toward said base'for receiving the stitches extending between a button engaging the outer face of one of said plates andwork engaging the outer face of the other of-said plates.

9. A work-holder comprising a base mem ber, and a pair of plate members supported by said base member in substantially parallel relation and adjustable toward and from each other, said plate members having opposed slots extending toward said base for receiving the stitches extending between a. button engaging the outer face of one of said plates and work engaging the outer face of the other of said plates.

MICHAEL MCCANN. 

